The Rebel in Red
by AnamariaJovel
Summary: [Set in 2012]: A "Dream Beavers" One-Shot. This is a variation on Raph's dream, and what Dread Beaver does to him. His fears mean nothing once his brothers are in danger...Graphic descriptions!
**The Rebel in Red**

 _A TMNT "Dream Beavers" Short Story_

 _ **Raph's POV: In a dream**_

I _was_ about to start cracking skulls. But now that doesn't seem like an option. The fat gerbil won't leave me alone! Out from his mouth pour insects of every kind. Including the worst of all, cockroaches.

"Come here Turtle! Give Dread Beaver a hug!" He shouts, the bugs _still_ falling from his mouth like an avalanche. Where are my brothers? They were here earlier, but they all left the cabin together to find fire wood. So now I'm alone, with this freak following me. I don't even know how he got here.

"Get your slimy claws away from me!" I yell at him, stupidly (yes I'll admit that) throwing one of my Sai behind me at the Beaver.

If Leo were here he'd be reprimanding me, saying 'a ninja never throws away a weapon!' But at this point I don't care, I can already feel those creepy-crawly tiny legs on my skin. And that is NOT ok with me.

I'm glancing back behind me so much that I nearly ram into the sink in the kitchen. I'm at a dead end, and the Beaver is right behind me. I make the conscious choice right then to blame everything on Mikey as I jump straight through the window, hoping that the glass shards will slow down or maybe kill some of the bugs coming from the Beaver's mouth.

When I hit the ground in a tumble, I realize I'm breathing way too heavily for a half-floor drop. Thank god my brothers aren't back home yet. I just know they'd criticize me for it.

"Raph, what did you do?!" I hear April yell. Sighing, I look up and watch as she runs up to me, glaring at the broken window behind me.

"I can explain! There was this giant gerbil-like thing following me, with insects coming out of its mouth!" I tell her once she stops in front of me.

For a moment, her face was a blank stare, wide eyes, mouth ajar. Then the most disturbing, disgusting thing you can imagine happened.

She droops to the ground, as if her puppet-master had dropped the strings, and cockroaches begin to pour from her mouth, ears, even appearing out of nowhere through her hands and feet.

Obviously, I start running away from her, but I'm not fast enough to miss her transformation into the fat Beaver who originally chased me. Halfway through the change everything stops, and the bugs disappear.

"Raph, wake up!" The morphed April shouts once, before fully turning into the Beaver again.

I have no clue what that was about. As far as I'm concerned, this is all a little too real to be only a dream. How else would I be able to imagine something this vivid?!

I don't even care at this point.

I toss the other Sai.

"Leo! Mikey, Donnie!" I shout, my voice taking on a new octave.

I run straight for the woods, turning back so often it feels like my neck is about ready to snap. Much like I want to happen to the fat gerbil _still_ following me.

My mistake was looking back that last time, running face first into a thick tree trunk.

I blink hard…

And then suddenly I'm falling out of the sky.

 _When did I get to New York?!_

I flail in the air a few more seconds before I hit the ground into a tumble roll, landing on my feet.

The street is quiet, and I think maybe I've lost my mind. Instinctively, I reach a hand for my Sai, even though I threw them both at…

"My Sai?" I pull them out, flexing my muscles. They shine, and I stand there, staring like a madman, until I hear something else hit the street.

"What's going on?" Leo.

I turn around, to my three brothers, standing there. Donnie glances over at Leo, looking as confused as I feel.

"I'm having the weirdest dream," He begins. I only watch their conversation, flipping my replacement Sai's over in my hands.

"You can't be dreaming, I'm here!" Leo shouts back. Well, I'm here too. And so is Mikey. _So who's dream is this, huh?_

"That's because I'm dreaming you," Donnie continues. Now I'm about to say something about that, when a hand comes over my mouth, and suddenly, I can't move.

 _The gerbil._

It drags me away from my brothers, and in the corner of my eye I notice another one has Mikey.

But I can't do anything about it.

I squirm, about ready to destroy these beasts.

 _NO ONE HURTS MY BROTHERS._

"Maybe I'm dreaming you, but you _are not_ dreaming me." Donnie and Leo still seem oblivious to the situation.

I take a bite into the gerbils flesh. His hand falls, and I yell.

"Get your dirty claws off me you stupid gerbil!" Luckily, Leo and Donnie hear, and turn to us. I keep squirming against the fluffiness.

"I thought we were friends Dave!" Mikey shouts. Its name is Dave. That's… _terrifying_.

"Sowry Mikey!" The thing frowns down at my littlest brother. I can't help but gag. Then I notice two other gerb-beavers. Maybe I should start calling them by their proper names. Donnie's here.

This one's grip is incredible.

"Olly Olly Oxen Free!" One of them shouts, and I watch Leo and Donnie charge.

They don't make it far. But Mikey and I are still freed.

We start fighting. Lucky for us, no bugs start pouring out of their mouths. Unlucky for us, they seem to be better at everything in this world.

My brothers and I are pinned down in minutes. I would bite again, but my face is pressed up against the concrete.

"Turtle soup sounds good about now!" The leader shouts.

I grit my teeth, unwilling to give up.

I shouldn't have blinked.

When my eyes open again, the pressure on my shell is gone, but I'm staring up, and _not_ at the New York sky.

That's really all that needs to be mentioned.

"Raph, Donnie, Mikey!" I hear Leo shout, somewhere to my left.

"Leo!"

I hear a light hum, and suddenly I'm more right than I used to be.

I turn my head as far right as I possibly can, my limbs stuck inside my shell.

I'm met with a column of flames.

 _This is worse than the bugs…_

"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" I whisper to myself, blinking so hard I bring up tears.

It's a dream. My brothers and I are safe, we're safe!

April's words come to my mind.

 _Are we going to die?_

"Oh this is lovely, four additions to dinner!" I decide to reposition my eyes on the ceiling of shells.

"Ah!" Donnie yells. _Donnie's at the end._

"I love you guys," I whisper again, shutting my eyes tight. The conveyer belt pushes us further right.

I try to ignore my brother's yells of terror.

"What? No!" I can't block out the sound of the Beaver's yell.

The movement stops. I open my eyes.

April's cabin. A sigh of relief comes out before I even register the fact that all of my brothers are here as well.

"Do you have any idea what you've done? You've released the Dream Beavers from the dreamscape! They're free to destroy our world!" A man's voice comes out of nowhere.

I turn to face the guy. Doesn't look too surprised to see a group of giant teenaged turtles.

I guess April and Casey have already gone over it. April glances around at us, clearly worried.

I almost miss what she tells us, trying to wipe the image of the bugs coming out of her eyes from my mind.

"Are you guys ok? You almost died!" She shouts. I smile weakly in reassurance, then stand when I see the funnel of dust behind her.

Casey, April, and the random guy get behind us.

It's almost funny when the dust clears to four plush toys.

 _This is what we almost died to?_

"We've come to-um…How'd you all get so…large?" The leader speaks. His voice is so squeaky, I have to fight the urge to block my ears out.

Mikey steps forward, kneeling.

"They're so cute!" He yelps. Dave turns pink.

"Aw, thanks Mikey!" His fellow beavers glare at him.

"Leave now, or Raph here has the pleasure of throwing you out." Leo says quickly, gesturing over at me.

I reach for a Sai, smirking. I can already picture myself de-stuffing these things. Except maybe Dave. Mikey might want him as a pet.

"Yeah,"

"Very well, we shall conquer another dimension. Come along brothers." One of them says, as they disappear in another cloud.

"Bye Dave!"

"April, Casey…Giant talking turtles…" I turn to face the guy. "I've been awake for forty years, for no reason." He finishes, falling back behind the couch, asleep.

"Anyone want to help me take him back home?" Casey asks us, as Donnie walks over to help him. They carry the man out of the cabin, April following out, and Leo and I sit on the couch. He flexes his broken leg.

"You know, we may have died and all…but my leg really does feel better."

I smile.

Raph knows best.


End file.
